JINT
by Baron Von Fang
Summary: The King, The Cobbler, The Angel, and The Woodsman. When these four boys enroll at Beacon Academy, what will ensue? How do their pasts all intertwine? When they befriend the all-girl team "RWBY", will romance blossom between them? Read, Review, but above all, Enjoy!
1. Jade Trailer

JINT: A RWBY Fan Fiction

Jade Trailer

 **Song: I May Fall**

 **Artist: Jeff and Casey Lee Williams**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the song. I wish I did, but I don't**

A lone figure stands near the ruins of a small hut. Staring, motionlessly at the charred remains of what was only a decade ago, a warm, happy home. Burned down for some unknown reason…. The figure was a boy, born fifteen years ago on that day. He wore a dark green cloak with a hood, which obscured his face. A large, wooden guitar was strung across his back. Its base was bright green in color, and had rather sharp, jagged edges, which seemed dangerous, but the young lad didn't seem to mind.

After a few moments of silent prayer, the boy turned and left the burned remains, starting off into the woods behind him. As he walked deeper into the woods, they became increasingly darker and more treacherous, but he did not seem to be worried. Soon however, the path was blocked by a large tree trunk, uprooted and strewn across the road. He stopped. The woods were eerily quiet for a moment, and suddenly, a loud snapping noise echoed through the forest. Suddenly, the tree had been cut into tiny splinters. He continued on his way. Half an hour later, the boy came across a vast, open field circled by the forest. Save for a single, ten foot tall mountain lying in the middle, it was completely empty.

The cloaked figure continued on his journey towards the peak. After an hour or so of non-stop traveling, he came within a league of the summit. Without warning, the ground began to shake. Several cracks appeared, originating from the mountain. A large segment split from the side, still connected to the mountain with a column. On the other side, another piece was separated likewise. The excess rock fell off of the slabs, revealing black stone underneath. Five smaller, digit-like columns sprouted from the ends of the segments, almost like fingers.

The two hand-like columns placed their bases on the ground and clawed their digits into the earth beneath them. More cracks appeared around them, as the mountain rose out of the ground. A layer of excess rock fell away from the mountain, revealing black skin beneath it. Around the top of the mountain, there was a white stone-like substance, with stripes of red running along it. The mask concealed two large yellow eyes. The young boy grasped the long handle of his guitar, swung it around so that he was holding it, and sat down. He began to pluck the strings, producing a sweet, nostalgic noise. The giant monster looked down at the small human beneath it. It raised its giant fist into the air, and then brought it down upon the boy. However, as soon as the fist came near him, the boy lifted his instrument to shield himself. As soon as the giant's fist came in contact with it, it was stopped!

There's a day when all hearts will be broken  
when a shadow will cast out the light  
and our eyes cry a million tears  
help won't arrive

The boy then easily pushed the giant's fist away. The beast stumbled backwards. The small lad then flicked a switch on his guitar. The two edges of the guitar's base extended and started glowing with power, turning the edges razor sharp. The boy gripped the guitar's neck with both hands, and charged after the giant. Unfortunately, the colossus regained its bearings, and attempted to crush the boy beneath its feet. He easily sidestepped each attack as he managed to get behind the behemoth. He then jumped towards its ankles, swinging his axe at the heel, which then embedded itself into the giant's skin. The beast let out a cry of pain, as the glowing material sunk into its skin like a hot knife through butter.

There's a day when all courage collapses  
and our friends turn and leave us behind  
creatures of darkness will triumph  
the sun won't rise

The youth then started vertically climbing up the titan's leg, as easily as if he were running through an open field! The monster of course, was trying to shake the young boy off, occasionally swatting at him. The boy avoided every attempt. When he finally got to the top, he started swinging his axe into the side of the monster's head. With each strike, the beast writhed in agony, black smoke emanating from the wounds. The boy then jumped onto the top of the monster's head, his hood blowing off as he did so He swung his axe down into its skull, delivering the final blow to the giant. With one final roar of anguish, the monster collapsed.

I may fall  
but not like this-it won't be by your hand  
I may fall  
not this place, not today  
I may fall  
bring it all-it's not enough to take me down  
I may fall

The boy removed his axe from the giant's skull, jumping down its back to slow his descent. When he safely landed on the grass, he turned his head to the giant's corpse, watching it turn to ash. His jade green eyes glowed with satisfaction. His seemingly soft cheeks were covered in black ash from the monster, giving the illusion that he was older than he actually was. He ran his hand through his green hair, wiping his brow. No sooner did the corpse vanish, than the ground began to tremble. The boy turned around, hands still clenched around the guitar-axe's neck. Three more giants, identical to the one he had just slain began to march toward the boy.

There's a place where we'll stand outnumbered  
where the wolves and the soul-less will rise  
in the time of our final moments  
every dream dies

He flipped his axe around so that it was a guitar once more. He re-positioned his fingers across the strings, and took out a glowing red guitar pick from a pouch strapped to his waist. He took it between his middle and forefinger, raised it above his head, and then struck a chord. As soon as the pick hit the strings, an incredible noise resonated across the field. The whole guitar began to glow a hot red color, as it heated up in the boy's hands. Suddenly, both the guitar and the boy caught fire! The boy did not flinch, almost as if he had expected this. The flames subsided almost as quickly as they had appeared, but the boy was now covered in a maroon cloth with singe-marks. The boy's hood had been replaced by a helmet made to imitate a pumpkin, with gauntlets to imitate straw. His guitar had been changed to have a similar design, the base looking like a pumpkin, and the sound hole filled with flames.

There's a place where our shields will lay shattered  
and the fear's all that's left in our hearts  
strength and our courage have run out  
we fall apart

He began running through the forest around the field towards the giant to his far left. Every tree and bush he passed caught fire and burned to a crisp within seconds. Even the ground he stepped on became charred. When he came close enough, the first monster tried crushing him with its fist. As soon as the boy saw this, he dug his guitar into the ground. Using his momentum, he swung around horizontally like a pole-vaulter, but still holding on to the guitar. When the giant fist slammed into the ground, he jumped on the monster's arm, and started running up it, dragging his ax across the beast's arm whilst doing so. Every wound it left started spitting fire and smoke. The monster tried attacking him, but it was in too much pain to do much except roar in agony.

When we lose our faith…

When the youth reached the head of the giant, he grabbed the head of his guitar, and pulled it away from its base. It came apart, revealing that the head of the guitar along with the neck was actually a sword and shield! The boy raised his sword, and brought it down into the monster's skull. With every attack, lava started spewing from its head. Finally, the giant fell. As soon as the boy landed on the ground, he started glowing red again. When the light faded, he had returned to his normal clothes.

And forsake our friends…

The boy then turned to the second giant and began running towards it, his sword and shield a guitar once more. As he ran, he took another pick from his pouch, this one light blue, and strummed his guitar. Instantly, he and his instrument began to glow with a similarly colored energy. When it faded, his skin had become a pale white, his hair greased back, and a shade of crisp ice-blue. His cloak had been replaced with a rather thick wool coat. He rotated some of the tuners on his guitar, which split it in two from the base, creating two hatchets. He took his two hatchets, each glowing with the blue energy and lunged at the creature's leg, freezing it solid. He jumped on the goliath, and ran up its side like he did with its' fallen brethren. The beast tried shaking him off, but each time he did, the lad dug his hatchets into the colossus' skin. Eventually, he had to resort to climbing up the creature's side solely with his hatchets.

When the moon is gone…

Every time his blades left a gouge in the monster's skin, the wound would freeze over. However, the monster finally managed to grab the boy. He let out a sharp cry of pain as the beast began squeezing the life out of him. However, ice soon began to spread along the monster's hand, spreading to the rest of its arm. The boy took the opportunity to squirm out of the giant's grip. He then began gliding along the frozen arm, as if he were ice-skating. When he reached the shoulder, he jumped onto the monster's head, embedding his hatchets into the side of its skull. Ice then began growing from the wounds, causing the giant to cry out in pain. It clawed at its face, trying to get rid of the boy. When that didn't work, it began frantically shaking its head. No matter what it did, the boy would not let go. Soon the monster's entire body turned into ice, and the boy finally could relax…

And we reach our end…

BOOM went the frozen giant's body as the final monster slammed its fist into its brethren, launching the young boy into a thick tree and cracking its trunk. The boy's icy aura faded, returning the boy and his hatchets to normal. He slowly rose to his feet, staggering a bit, and picked up his small axes. Aligning their handles, he fused them back together, returning his weapon to normal. He re-positioned the guitar in his hands, brought out a green guitar pick, and strummed a chord on the guitar. He began to glow with a green energy now, and when it faded, his skin turned into a light shade of emerald, leaves and vines ran through his coarse hair.

When we stand with friends  
and we won't retreat

He tuned his guitar some more. As he did so, the base changed form, revealing a cylinder shape running across the middle of the guitar. One of the jagged edges rotated, turning into a handle, which the boy grabbed. He flipped his guitar so that the cylinder was facing the giant. He then began pulling the handle, shooting out a blast of energy from the cylinder towards the giant. When the bullet hit their target, vines began to grow, wrapping around the creature. He cocked the gun once more, and shot the monster in the arm; and vines began to grow there as well. He repeated again and again until the monster fell, cocooned in green vines. The vines writhed in agony for several moments. Soon, however, they stopped and shrunk back into the ground, leaving the giant's ashes floating away.

As we stare down death  
then the taste is sweet

The green aura surrounding the boy faded, returning him to normal. He flipped a switch on his shotgun, returning it to normal. He walked over to a stump and sat down. He began playing a song on his guitar, but was interrupted by the ground shaking beneath him. He looked up and saw that all of the monsters' remains were floating in the middle of the field. They were all fusing together, creating an even bigger giant than all four of them combined! The young boy's jade eyes widened as he strained to see the colossus. He gritted his teeth and gripped his guitar in anger.

There's a moment that changes a life when  
we do something that no one else can…  
And the path that we've taken will lead us  
one final stand…

He took one final guitar pick, gleaming silver in the sun, and struck the most powerful and loud of all the chords he had yet struck. He began to glow with a metallic silver gleam. However this time, instead of having his clothing changed as well, he only glowed brighter than ever before. By now the giant had gained a real, tangible form: it was at least 30 feet tall, with six arms, and looked angry. It lets out a horrible, inhuman cry of pure rage. The small human beneath it let out an even louder cry, which shouldn't have been possible, considering his size. The boy began running towards the colossus, his guitar an axe once more.

There's a moment we make a decision  
not to cower and crash to the ground.  
The moment we face our worst demons  
our courage found

He leapt thirty feet in the air, eye to eye with the colossus, and his axe changing form one final time. The right edge of the axe rotated, connecting with its twin. The young man then raised his sword above his head with both hands, gathered all the energy he had, and let out a cry that shook through the forest. An enormous ghost of a silver sword, even bigger than anything else in the field, seemed to surround the sword. Memories flashed through the young man's mind at blinding speed: he remembered a house, crushed by a giant force. He remembered a man's cry of anguish and anger. With all the strength the young boy had, he brought down his sword upon the giant, cleaving it clean in two. When the boy fell to the ground, he let out a ragged breath; he had defeated his foe.

I may fall  
But not like this – it won't be by your hand  
I may fall  
Not this place, not today  
I may fall  
Bring it all – it's not enough to take me down  
I may fall

The creature's remains glowed brightly with blinding silver light. When nothing but the glow covered the forest, it faded, and the giant's' corpse was no more. As for the young hero who slew this beast? He sat down on a tree stump, and began to play a sad tune on his guitar. A tear fell down his cheek, smearing his ash-ridden face. Memories flashed through his mind: a fire and a woman's scream. A father's touch and a guitar being plucked for the first time by youthful hands. A small town screaming in horror as a monster destroyed their homes. And worst of all, a light vanishing from the man's eyes…

Jade. I. N. T.


	2. Indigo Trailer

JINT: A RWBY Fan Fiction

 **Song: Icarus**

 **Artist: Bastille**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own this song, the world of Remnant, or anything RWBY related except for my characters.**

Indigo Trailer

A young boy wanders the empty halls of a condemned building. He looks to the right, noticing a small courtyard. He recalled the time when noble monks would wander as they went on with their conversations. Some of them would admire the beautiful flowers and ivy that grew along the walls, occasionally jotting notes on paper. But alas, there were no more monks to talk with, just as there were no more flowers growing, and no more ivy along the walls. The boy stopped in the center of the courtyard, raised his head, and inhaled sharply. He could still recall the scent of the flowers that once grew there. He became nostalgic for that time ten years ago, when the hooded figures would hold his hand as he brushed the other hand through the soft petals. A soft breeze whistled through the courtyard, blowing his dark blue bangs across his lightly tanned skin.

Look who's digging their own grave  
That is what they all say  
You'll drink yourself to death

Look who makes their own bed  
Lies right down within it  
And what will you have left?

His smile soon faded, however, as he was brought back to reality; there was no more happiness here. All that grew here now was a hollow feeling of despair and hopelessness. It was this feeling that called the creatures of Grimm. These monsters were drawn to anger, fear, sadness, despair, and all negative emotions. This empty monastery was now just another feeding ground for these beasts.

Out on the front doorstep  
Drinking from a paper cup  
You won't remember this

Living beyond your years  
Acting out all their fears  
You feel it in your chest

A low growl came from behind the boy, interrupting his thoughts. He turned face-to-face with several Grimm Creeps. These smaller Grimm had two legs and oblong bodies that laid low to the ground. They often traveled in large packs to make up for their diminutive size. There were about ten or twelve of them total, each with mouths agape and salivating. They had completely surrounded the boy, blocking off any possible escape route. A smile tugged at the edges of his lips, as he reached his hands down to the golden bracelets that ran along his forearms. A Creep saw this, and taking it as a form of aggression, lunged at him.

Your hands protect the flames  
From the wild winds around you

In a fraction of a second, the beast's body was ripped apart by two circular golden discs, one on each of the boy's arms. The other Grimm howled at the sight of their companion's body disintegrating. The boy returned to a neutral position, the rings suspended in midair around his wrists. The rest of the monsters snapped out of their initial shock as they all began to attack the human at once. Another smirk appeared as the boy began spinning like a cyclone, catching the creatures off guard once again. He spun at such incredibly fast speeds; they were almost too fast to see! The Creeps were swept up in the vacuum he created, being torn to bits by the blades. Only four were spared, each being flung in separate directions.

Icarus is flying too close to the sun  
And Icarus's life, it has only just begun  
It's just begun

The young warrior slowed to a stop, his blades reflecting the small ray of sun that poked through the clouds. The three small beasts soon climbed back onto their feet and charged once more. The boy retaliated by throwing the discs at the two closest of the monsters. Serrated blades popped out of the edges of the discs, easily slicing through them while also hardly losing any momentum. However another one had snuck up behind him. The boy however, accounted for this. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. He raised his arms, just as they started to glow a dim golden light. His blades-which were also covered in the dim glow-had slowed down to a stop. Then suddenly, they flew back towards him. The boy sidestepped, dodging both the Grimm's attack and avoiding his discs. Unfortunately, the Creep was not so lucky, as he took the full force of both of the blades. It fell to the ground with a wet thud, both of the weapons lodged into its skull.

Standing on the cliff face  
Highest fall you'll ever grace  
It scares me half to death

The boy scooped up the rings, and placed them around his wrists, turning them back into armlets. Suddenly, a shadow overtook him, causing the boy to howl in pain. The last Grimm, the leader no less, had gotten the drop on him-literally! The boy quickly threw the beast off him, surprising it with his strength. The Grimm fell on the ground a few feet in front of the boy. It shook itself quickly, and then rushed at the boy. The young warrior twisted his right armlet, causing two golden blades to pop out. The blades had a small gap between them, and both of them surrounded the boy's forearm and hand. The Beast jumped, but as it did, the warrior lifted his arm, impaling the Grimm on the blades. It squirmed a bit, before going limp. The boy threw the creature to the ground, watching as its body turned to ash.

Look out to the future  
But it tells you nothing  
So take another breath

However, this victory was short-lived, as the ground began to tremble. A large crevice began to spread through the Monastery, shattering the walls and breaking apart the very earth. The boy knew he had only a few moments before he would be swallowed up by the crack. He rotated the bracelet on his left arm, causing a crossbow to pop out. The boy aimed at a nearby column, an arrow positioning itself along the center. After a change of the arrowhead, the young boy fired at the column. The arrow embedded itself deep into the stone, a long bronze rope connecting it with the crossbow. With the flick of a switch, the boy was pulled towards the column, barely avoiding the rapidly growing crevice.

You put up your defenses when you leave  
You leave because you're certain  
Of who you want to be

The boy held on to the column for dear life, as an enormous centipede-like monster appeared from the fissure. It was covered in a thick white armor, with red markings on the side of it. It had dozens upon dozens of spindly legs and two large black antennae on its forehead. It swiveled its head, searching for the source of all the noise. It started to feel around the courtyard with its antennae, smelling for one thing in particular: humans. The boy held his breath, hoping the beast would not sense him. He felt a small gush of wind as the large antennae swooped on by him. The boy pressed himself closer to the column but failed to notice the split-second contact the large feeler had upon him.

You're putting up your armor when you leave  
And you leave because you're certain  
Of who you want to be, oh

The giant monster let out a loud screech, as it swiped its tail, and the column came crashing down, taking the boy with it. The boy fell onto the ground, flat on his back. The giant pillar came toppling down, but the boy quickly rolled out of the way, narrowly dodging the rubble. He leapt to his feet, his armlets turning into crossbows. The beast turned to face the boy, its fangs shimmering with saliva. The boy aimed his crossbows at the Grimm and fired, but the golden arrows merely glanced off the monster's hide. The Centipede lunged at him. The boy was barely able to jump out of the way in time. The boy launched another grappling hook, dragging him to another column. The Ground-Dweller lunged at this one too, causing it to collapse. The boy retreated to another column, repeating these steps, in hopes of tiring out the creature.

At last, the Grimm rammed into the last of the columns, but this time, was crushed by the falling rubble, pinned down and helpless. The boy dropped to the ground in front of the monster. He took his crossbows and fused them together, creating a Composite bow. Two golden arrows from the crossbows fused together to create one large arrow, which notched itself. He pulled the string back, locking eyes with the beast. He took a deep breath…and….

Icarus is flying too close to the sun  
And Icarus's life, it has only just begun  
This is how it feels to take a fall  
Icarus is flying towards an early grave

The arrow shot cleanly through the monster, ripping it in two halves. The rubble shot in multiple directions from the force of the arrow. The boy took his bow apart, placing the two halves into the gauntlets as he watched the monster's remains faded into ashes. He looked around at the rubble. The boy sobbed a bit at the sight; he hoped he didn't damage this place too much. But alas, the walls had been torn apart, and what was left of the garden uprooted. Worst of all was the giant crevice in the center of the main courtyard.

He began climbing up one of the only spires left intact. He brushed his hands against the wall, feeling the dusty brick. He recalled the last time he went up this particular tower; he was far too rushed to touch the walls as he used to when he went up there for his tutoring lessons. Most of the bricks had been worn away by time, others had completely vanished; either they fell out or were worn to dust.

When the boy finally did reach the top, he gazed around at the room: there were books and papers strewn everywhere. Some of the parchments were torn apart, others crumpled and tossed aside. One thing was constant with all of these; being that they were hard to decipher what was originally on it, and all impossible to read. He walked on to the open window at the far side of the tower. He gazed out the large opening, recalling the last time he did so….

Icarus is flying too close to the sun  
And Icarus's life, it has only just begun  
This is how it feels to take a fall  
Icarus is flying towards an early grave

Of all the things he remembered of that day, the clearest was the yelling. There was also a man urging him to do the impossible, and voices closing in on them, almost coming from the walls. He remembered being frozen with fear, his legs refusing to obey him. He remembered men in armor bursting through the door, tearing it off its hinges. The man that was with him let one word escape his lips, before being pinned down by the armored men. This was the last word the boy heard from him: Fly

Jade. Indigo. N. T.

 **Authors Note: Hello all! I hope you enjoyed this next installment of JINT! I know it's been a whole summer since I've updated and I am sorry for that. However, I hope now to work harder and get the updates out there sooner. On another note, there's the little issue with the music. I have chosen to include some of my favorite songs (that fit) into this fanfiction. I would highly recommend checking some of them out, as they are really good songs. I, of course, do not own any of them. Enjoy them nevertheless!**

 **-The Baron**


	3. UPDATE

Oh my lord has it been a while!

Hello all! It is I: The worst updater in Fanfiction history!

I know that you have been waiting patiently for my update. That or you've assumed that I was dead and completely abandoned me entirely. No shame in that. It's mostly on me for not updating in five-ever (dat mean moar dan 4evr). I apologize for not getting back to them sooner. But I am here to clarify some things. First and foremost, I am not yet dead. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about many of my stories. It seems I have abandoned several of my tales whilst they were incomplete. So, to rectify that, I have put together a schedule of the next few chapters that I will be putting up. Since I am in the middle of a chapter, I shall wrap that up and post it before continuing with the others.

Unfortunately, I have come to a roadblock: I am debating on whether I should continue with the Soul Eater fic I started a while ago. (I will be posting this to all my existing stories, so you may be reading this while in that very same fic.) I haven't watched the show in a long time and have all but lost interest in it. So, if any of you out there want me to finish it up, please tell me! If not, I will terminate it. I will still leave it on if anyone does feel like reading it. (It's not the best thing I've ever written, but it is…something.)

As for the rest of my stories, I will be wrapping up the next chapter of my RWBY fic as that one sort of has a four-part prologue that I'm ¾ done with. Following that, I will write the last 2 Chapters of my Rise of The Guardians fic. Lastly, I should mention that I will not be continuing the Kid Icarus fic for a while. I will return to it one day, but for the moment, it just doesn't hold much interest for me. After my unfinished stories wrap up, (there should be only about 2 more chapters for both the ROTG and the SE fics) I will be mainly working on my RWBY fic.

To wrap this little update…up, I want to say that if any of my followers (all 3 of you) want more of me, you can find me on . My URL is writersmanor. I post updates there, as well and sometimes post things that I use as reference when I write. Check it out if you've got the time.

Thank you so much for listening to my little schpeal. I know that I haven't been the most productive writer, but I hope to change that. In fact, I should be posting my newest chapter of my RWBY fic very soon, so keep on the lookout for that.

See you on the Flipside!

-B. Fang


	4. Noir Trailer

JINT: A RWBY FanFiction

Noir Trailer

Song: You're Gonna Go Far Kid

Artist: The Offspring

The sun rises upon a quiet little town. Busy shopkeepers and merchants begin to set up their goods, showing off the prettiest ones out in front to attract customers, and placing the more interesting ones deeper in their small shops. All sorts of baubles and beauties were out for sale. From shiny jewels to expensive pottery covered with intricate patterns from long-lost tribes. But there was one store that stood out from the others: Perrault's Cobbling.

This fancy store was the go-to place if you needed a shoe repair, but it also sold shoes, boots, sandals, and various other footwear. The owner was a kind, older gentleman named Charles Perrault. He had silver colored hair and a smile that gave him a sort of glow. He was a quiet man but was uniformly kind and generous to all his customers. Sometimes, if someone couldn't pay for their shoe, he would lower the prices for them just so they could afford it. Many of his neighbors asked why he did this, as it would harm his business. Whenever they asked him this (and they often did) he smiled, gave them a pat on the back, and walked away.

The truth was that Charles didn't even need to run the store. He inherited a fortune from his father when he passed away many years ago. However, Charles didn't like the rich lifestyle and decided that he wanted to do something more for people. So even though he didn't need the job, he was still helpful and generous to all his customers.

Perhaps the greatest show of his generosity was the adoption of his young apprentice/surrogate son. He was a scrawny boy with shaggy black hair and striking amber eyes named Noir. He found the young boy in his store one night, most likely hiding from the cold. He caught him staring at his prized pair of boots, transfixed by the intricate patterns and sigils on it. Charles, feeling pity for the homeless boy told him that he could have the boots if he worked off the debt to him. It took the child years, but he finally finished working off his payment. Even so, he stayed with him because Perrault was the closest thing he had to a father. As the years went by, the boy slowly turned into a kind young man and Perrault had never been prouder.

Noir had shown a keen interest in shoes and cobbling from the start. At first, all Charles had him do was sweep and lock up the store when they were done. But late at night, the boy snuck his way into the cobbler's office, watching the man make shoes. He was fascinated. Every night he watched from the doorway until he could barely keep his eyes open. One night, several months into Noir's employment, he knocked over a vase in excitement. This made such a ruckus that Perrault took notice. When questioned about the matter, Noir confessed to watching him. After hearing his story, the elderly cobbler chuckled.

"Why do you sound so ashamed, child? I'm happy that you've taken an interest in my work! Come into my office and I'll give you a better look."

So, Perrault finally had an apprentice and a vigorous one at that! Noir paid close attention to every single thread that Charles sowed into the shoes. He caught on quickly how to make and repair shoes. Within a year of working at the store, he had made his first pair of sneakers. As he grew older, he changed from a shy little kid to a friendly and kind young man. He always greeted customers and saw them off with a smile, wink, and nod. He would guide people around the store, showing them where they needed to go.

But he would not let people take advantage of his kindness. Once, Noir caught someone trying to rob the cash register while Perrault wasn't looking. Thankfully, Noir's seemingly inhuman reflexes caught the thief and kicked them out of the store. Noir wasn't the bitter type, but he swore that if he ever saw the thief's face again, he would make them pay. With cash. Perrault was proud of the man Noir was turning out to be. He would have been happy to retire, leaving the shop in the care of the young cobbler-in-training. Had it not been for the men in white.

They entered just as the shop began to open its doors for the early morning. There were about 10 of them, almost all of which had weapons at their sides. The largest of them, the leader, had a large club with serrated edges slung across his back. He walked up to the desk where Charles was working, while the others spread out amongst the products.

"May I help you sir?" The old man asked.

"Cut the formalities, you know why we're here. Hand the weapon over to us, or we _will_ take it from you." Demanded the leader.

"Why I don't know what you're talking about." Charles said, feigning ignorance. The leader bared his teeth and slammed his fist against the countertop.

"Quit the act, Perrault! We know you have it!" The man yelled. This noise caught the attention of the young man in the back of the store.

"Mr. Perrault? Is everything alright?" Piped the voice of a young man. Noir stepped out from the other room, carrying several heavy boxes.

"No! Of course not!" Charles said in an inconspicuous tone. The older gentleman grabbed both of Noir's shoulders, trying to push him out. "Noir, get out of this store" He whispered, "Get far away from here and call the authorities!"

"What's the matter, sir? Who are-" Noir cut himself off once he saw the insignia on one of the men's breastplate. It was the face of a wolf with a claw-mark behind it, in the crimson shade only found in blood. "It's them…" he breathed, pure terror overtaking him. "They found me…"

"No dear child, it's not you they are after!" Perrault assured. "They want something I have, but I won't give it to them. I need you to leave now!" He tried pushing him out the door, but the young man's feet were locked in place.

"I'm not leaving you here with them." Noir spat. He dropped the boxes and reached for the two black cylinders on his belt.

"Noir…" Charles warned, "Please…not in my store…." It was too little, too late. The men had grown restless.

"Enough whispering! Give it to us now!" Yelled the leader, smashing the counter to pieces with his club.

"No! Please stop!" Charles begged. His legs gave out from under him as he fell to his knees.

The leader nodded to his comrades, who began tearing up everything around them. Display cases filled with books and shoes of every shape and size, sewing equipment, and the boxes that lined the walls were thrown about. Nothing was safe from their wrath.

Noir couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't watch these monsters destroy his home. Not after what he saw them do last time. When the leader grabbed Charles by the collar, Noir raised his left leg and brought it down on the man's elbow. A loud cracking sound was heard as the man roared in agony. Noir quickly scooped up his mentor and rushed him to safety in the back of the store. Noir sat Charles down gently in the darkest part of the closet. Through the shadows, Noir could see the look of shock frozen on his teacher's face.

"Stay here Charles. I promise I won't let them destroy our home." Noir reassured him. He looked at his adopted father, that look still on his face. "I need you to keep quiet as possible back here. Can you do that?"

Charles looked up at Noir with those twinkling eyes of his. He nodded softly before pressing his legs against his chest with his chin touching his knees. Noir left the closet quickly, careful not to make too much noise.

He ran back to the chaos and saw the men tearing up the shop. They had turned cabinets and cupboards over, emptied files and boxes of all shapes and sizes. The strange part was that they weren't just making a mess for the sake of making a mess. They seemed to be looking for something.

'Probably whatever Charles was hiding.' Noir thought to himself. The men still hadn't noticed him, which was good. The element of surprise was still on his side. The goon closest to him was the one who's arm he had broken. He smirked and devised a plan.

Show me how to lie

You're getting better all the time

And turning all against the one

Is an art that's hard to teach

After getting a running start, Noir drop-kicked the group's leader, launching him through a window and into the street. Still moving through the air due to the inertia, Noir flipped and landed perfectly on a pile of excess leather. The men stopped what they were doing and stared at the young man who had just knocked out their leader with a single hit.

Another clever word

Sets off an unsuspecting herd

And as you step back into line

A mob jumps to their feet

"Anyone else?" Noir taunted. And as the words left his mouth, all the soldiers charged at him. The first one raised his club to strike at his head. Noir swiped the man's legs out from under him, causing him to fall on his back. He then raised his leg above the man's torso, and brought his heel down, striking his sternum.

Now dance, f***er, dance

Man, he never had a chance

And no one even knew

It was really only you

Another came up behind him, holding a gun to Noir's head. He ducked, only just missing the bullet. He pushed the man's gun arm out of the way and kicked the man through a wall. He then pulled out one of the small black cylinders from out of his belt. It extended into a foot-long dagger. He turned and slashed one of the men in the arm. The goon howled in pain. This bought Noir the time he needed to literally kick him out of the store. But soon enough another thug rushed at him.

And now you steal away

Take him out today

Nice work you did

You're gonna go far, kid

It seemed that each time he got rid of one of them, another would come and take their place. Like a hydra with stubbornness issues or an overly attached ex, they just wouldn't stop. One of these men snuck up behind him with a bone saw ready to strike. Noir turned and pulled out a second black cylinder, which quickly turned into a pistol. The hammer went down on the mechanism and the Dust within the barrel ignited, launching the small burst of energy straight at him. The blast struck him square in the chest and launched him backwards.

With a thousand lies and a good disguise

Hit 'em right between the eyes

Hit 'em right between the eyes

Noir returned his black weapons to their holsters and pulled out a small knife concealed within his jacket. He slashed at the nearest man in white, leaving a nasty scar on his face. As more and more of these goons came towards him, he pulled out more and more knives, his arms a blur of silver. Each of these knives had different looks. Some were serrated, others were thin, yet lethal. He left cuts across the men's bodies, careful not to make them too severe. He wanted to drive these men out, not kill them. Several more minutes of furious slashing passed before almost all the men fell, either unconscious or too exhausted to fight any longer. One final soldier came at him, wielding a spiked bat and screaming like a madman. Noir chuckled, clearly entertained by this pathetic attempt at an attack. He pulled out his pistol and fired, blowing the metal bar to pieces. The man looked at his busted weapon and then at Noir. He then dropped it and ran off into the night.

When you walk away, nothing more to say

See the lightning in your eyes

See 'em running for their lives

And as Noir was looking down at all his fallen foes, a single gunshot rang out. He spun around to see the leader with the broken arm pointing a smoking gun into the storage closet. While Noir was distracted, Charles was left completely undefended. The leader had snuck back into the storage area while Noir was busy fighting his goons. Noir's jaw fell slack in shock. He ran at the man in a blind rage, roaring at him like a wild beast. He tackled him, knocked the gun out of his hand, and pinned him down. He raised his own pistol to the man's forehead, readying the trigger… but could not bring himself to pull it. Instead, he just kicked the man's face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious.

A groan of pain from his left told Noir that Perrault was still alive. He ran to him and noticed the large red splotch on his chest. Blood was pouring out, and he would die if not treated soon. Noir put his hand on the bullet wound to stop the bleeding as much as he could.

"No no no…Charley! You can't die…oh God…." Noir whispered. His voice was trapped in his throat, too afraid to come out and see what was happening

"Noir…my son…closer…I must tell…you…" The old man's voice trailed off. Noir leaned in next to his dying mentor, listening closely to his final words. His eyes slowly widened. When Charles was done, he placed his hand on Noir's cheek, and gently caressed it.

"My son… my boy…you have been blessed with amazing gifts…do not squander them…. Never lose that wonderful smile you have. I want you to know that…I…." Perrault gasped out. His eyes fluttered for a moment before he went limp in Noir's arms.

"Charles…? Charles!" Noir started crying out. "Dad! Please! Wake up damn it!" Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. A deep loneliness filled his heart and a cold chill went down his spine.

He had lost everything that was dear to him: his home, his family, and his happiness.

Again.

Jade. Indigo. Noir. T.


End file.
